Up until a week ago, my fundamental understanding of DUST 514, CCP Games' F2P PS3-exclusive EVE-tied MMOFPS, was shaky at best. A lot of information had been posted via dev blogs and news items and I vaguely comprehended some of the game's underlying mechanics but, without any hands-on experience, it was difficult to visualize any of these systems on a practical level. Thus, from the moment I set foot in Reykjavik, Iceland, to attend EVE Fanfest 2012, one of my main missions was to rectify my ignorance by not only getting some solid hands-on time with DUST 514, but to also attend every presentation, every keynote address and every roundtable discussion that I could get my hands on. The end result of this is that I have a lot of information and a lot more excitement to share on this upcoming title. Allow me to fill you in.

EVE Fanfest 2012 ended yesterday night, but not before CCP CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson debuted their newest trailer, "One World," to the thousands of live fans attending the "CCP Presents!" keynote speech. The trailer gives a lot of backstory behind the DUST 514 soldiers and how, exactly, they relate to the EVE Online Universe. The trailer also gives a hint as to some of the crossover DUST 514 / EVE Online features they hope to implement - or have already been implemented - into the game, including the ability for DUST 514 soldiers to shoot EVE Online ships out of the sky, and for EVE Online players to trigger Orbital Bombardments on the planet, decimating the land.

Stay tuned this week for a lot more information on DUST 514, as well as a few interviews from EVE Fanfest 2012, and some information on CCP's long-hidden World of Darkness MMORPG.

According to a DUST 514 interview Gametrailers had with CCP CEO Hilmar Petursson and CMO David Reid, this upcoming console-based MMOFPS will be sending out beta keys in April to "tens of thousands of people" for DUST 514's first large-scale beta test. Of course, the first general public hands-on will be at EVE Fanfest later this month, so fans should look for DUST 514 there to get a first glimpse at the game.

Within the interview, Petursson and Reid both stress the fact that DUST 514 will not act as a supplementary experience to EVE Online, rather, it's about giving players a new introduction to the EVE Universe without the wicked skill curve so commonly associated with the sandbox MMORPG.

In the newest DUST 514 Developer Blog, the team is highlighting two vehicular staples in their lineup: the Marauder HAV and the Force Recon Dropship, both originating from the Gallente race. In the blog, CCP also goes into detail on vehicle roles and the many ways they interact (or counteract) each other on the battlefield. They also discuss the various customization options available to vehicles in DUST 514 (a topic previously covered), noting the fact that the Marauder HAV can actually enter "siege" mode, which gives it higher resistances to damage and higher damage dealing bonuses.

You can check out the full dev blog over at the DUST 514 website.

When it comes to creating a game, weapon development might not be the first thing that comes to mind. From conceptual drawing to game balance adjustments, some games just wouldn't be the same without iconic weapon development. And this is no different for Dust 514.

That is why in the latest blog post, CCP highlighted three weapons that truly changed the way the game played once they were implemented into the game. The first gun they take note of, is the Minmatar MH82-BCR Personal Autocannon. This weapon drastically improved the potential of the heavy dropsuit. Additionally, the Gallente CRG-3 Plasma Shotgun's deadly output at close range significantly offset the Scout's weak armor and shield capabilities. And finally the Caldari ZN-28 Nova Knife that comes with every drop suit, has helped in those moments when you are chasing down an enemy and run out of ammo.

The entire dev post goes into spec details for each weapon. So if you are looking for more information on these weapons, be sure to check out the blog post here.

Dust 514 is setting up to establish a universal set of rules for microtransactions on the PlayStation Network. Hilmar Pétursson told Develop "We're having many meetings with Sony to ensure they have solid policies on virtual currency." Given that discussions like these have not really taken place prior, CCP is breaking new ground as it establishes set protocols on how developers can trade across the PSN.

Right now, we can most likely expect to see pricing tiers of virtual items and, of course, a form of revenue split between Sony and the developers. This could potentially lead to a standardization of virtual items for third-party-developers and a possible way for the free-to-play market to make it's way to consoles.

The good folks over at DUST 514 have dropped some great news on fans today with some new DUST 514 in-game footage revealed in the bi-weekly episode of SONY PULSE. CCP is also promising more DUST 514 in-game footage in the near future, but at least you can get a glimpse of what this PS3-exclusive first-person shooter will have to offer out the gate.

The DUST 514 gameplay is featured about two minutes into the episode. 

CCP has revealed some new details behind their fan festival taking place in March, 2012. The venue is confirmed to be taking place at Harpa, a concert hall and conference center in Reykjavik. CCP is also offering guided tour events for anyone hoping to explore the city of Reykjavik and its countryside. Finally, there will be some great Fanfest events planned, including a pub crawl, Poker, PvP tournaments, Battle of the Bands competitions, and a "Party on the top of the World" blowout.

Check out the reveal trailer below to see how you can get in on CCP's Fanfest 2012!

Alright folks, I've got some good news or some bad news, depending. If you're an EVE Subscriber, then it's all sunshine and happiness. If not, however, well...

Long story short, DUST 514 has just kicked off registrations for their Closed Beta Testing period, but only those who have an active EVE Online subscription will be eligible to enter. I have no idea what the crossover demographic of EVE Online players are with PS3 FPS players, but for those who just want to get into DUST 514 and not EVE Online, chances are high that CBT registrations will be open early next year. Stay tuned for more details!

I will never cease to be impressed by DUST 514's concept art. My only hope is that it translates well into graphical prowess, but we'll cross that bridge when we need to. That being said, what we do have are some very badass looking dropsuits. Fresh from the DUST 514 team, this new dev post on Dropsuits outlines some of the customization options available to each specific dropsuit. More specifically, all dropsuits have a set number of slots that can be kitted out with all sorts of tools, like drop uplinks, repair tools, scanners, nanohives, sidearms, etc. All I know is that these things look nice, so that's all that really counts.

You can read the full DUST 514 dev post over on the official website!